


The Portal Hero

by Anon_E_Muss



Series: Crossovers [2]
Category: Wakfu, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: BAMF Midoriya Izuku, Bakugou Katsuki/Consequences, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Dad Might, Gen, Midoriya Izuku Has a Quirk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:28:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27397246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anon_E_Muss/pseuds/Anon_E_Muss
Summary: Glowing wing/antler things on his head wasn't really the strangest Quirk one could be stuck with.Said antlers giving Izuku access to life energy and the ability to make portals? Now that was a bit peculiar.A My Hero Academia story borrowing elements from Wakfu.
Relationships: Midoriya Izuku & Yagi Toshinori | All Might
Series: Crossovers [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951033
Comments: 17
Kudos: 67





	1. Izuku Midoriya: Origins

**Author's Note:**

> I’m guessing that most of my readers will be coming here from the MHA side of this crossover. If you don’t know about Wakfu: it’s a charming French animated series that focuses on a child’s quest to find his people: a forgotten race of portal-using magicians called the Eliatropes. Very charming series that I’d highly recommend to anime fans. (You can check it out on Netflix, and I’d advise the original French dub.)

Inko knew her boy was special from the very moment that she first held him. He was so small in her arms, and yet, there was a strength to him. From how loud he cried, Inko could hear the determination to live. As her little baby boy settled down in her arms, she looked at him closer. A small, measly shock of dark hair, that she was certain would grow out and become unmanageable soon enough, decorated his head. A light dusting of freckles marked his cheeks.

The most unusual thing about her child, however, were the glowing wing-like attachments on his head. They were tiny, matching the rest of him, and they hung close to his scalp, fitting his current stance curled up against her arms. They glowed softly, pulsing with a quiet life.

There were weirder quirks. As far as Inko was concerned, he was perfect.

* * *

As Izuku grew, it became obvious what his most immediate interests were. Perhaps it was the kids in the neighborhood, or perhaps it was his own fascination, but regardless, the thing that Izuku loved most in the world was heroes.

Every available opportunity, he would go over to Kacchan's place to play with whatever action figures the two of them could share. All Might featured prominently in his room, the hero's smile beaming down from posters.

"Mom! Mom! It's computer time!" a now kindergarten-age Izuku said.

"Already?" Inko said. "Alright, then. Just give me a few minutes."

After cleaning up a few of the dishes, she followed her soon, who was dashing to where she kept the computer. She smiled in amusement as he scrambled up the seat, and began to rock back and forth, wings buzzing with emotion.

"I don't get why you like this video so much," Inko said without judgement. "I think it's scary."

The video soon loaded. Izuku leaned in with beaming eyes as the disaster footage played.

The video displayed the debut of the top ranked hero in Japan. Even though the disaster footage was shaky, and the flames burned in the background, the hope in the recorder's voice was unmistakable. " _Who is this guy? It hasn't even been ten minutes yet and he's already saved a over a hundred people!_ "

All Might's by-now-signature laugh rang out.

" _Look! He's got more!_ "

" _Fear not, citizens! Hope has arrived; because I am here!_ "

Izuku proudly held up his prized action figure. "He's the coolest in the universe! And once my Quirk manifests, I'm gonna be a hero just like him!" Izuku gave his best imitation of All Might's laugh.

Inko smiled from where she stood. Her son had a dream. It should have been something worth celebrating, but she found that her worry undercut any joy that she may have shared.

* * *

"Sorry kid, it ain't gonna happen," the doctor said.

There was a light clack of plastic as Izuku dropped his action figure, his whole body frozen.

"Oh my," Inko said with concern. "Are you sure? I mean, we can see his wings."

The doctor sighed and shook his head. "As you are probably aware, Quirks can come in any variety of physical attributes or abilities. Most of these can be fitted into broad categories for the sake of simplicity. Your son's quirk appears to be a mutation-type quirk." He gestured to a few x-rays that had been taken. "Unfortunately, these wings on your son's head don't really seem to do much. In fact, as far as we can tell, they serve no purpose whatsoever. I'm afraid to say it, but your son is functionally quirkless."

* * *

Inko waited just by the door. The lights in the room where turned off, the only source of illumination coming from the computer screen. The sounds of All Might's debut were stuck on repeat. That laughter used to sound inspiring, but now it only rang hollow.

"See that, Mom?" Izuku asked with a strained voice. "There's always a smile on his face. Even when things seem impossible." Izuku turned around in his seat. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, waiting to burst forth. "Do you think. . . I could be a hero too?"

Inko put her hand to her mouth. She took one, two shaky steps towards her son, before collapsing in front of him and wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sorry, Izuku," she could only say. "I wish things were different."

* * *

Life continued on, despite the world ending. Kindergarten ploughed along, as the kids learned how to read and write. The other children's Quirks started to develop. Kacchan's sparks grew from tiny fireworks to actual bursts of flame, drawing the attention and admiration of the other children.

One day, as a few of the neighborhood children played together, Kacchan picked up Izuku's bucket. "Hey look," he said, pointing to the last character on Izuku's label. "You can read this as 'deku.'"

"Woah," one of the kids said. "What's 'deku' mean?"

"It means useless," Kacchan replied triumphantly. "Sorta like those horns of yours."

Izuku stopped playing with his rubber ball to look at his friend. "That's mean," he said.

"Who cares? It's not like you're gonna do anything about it," Kacchan said

Izuku started to say something, but a quick explosion from Kacchan's palm showed what the results would be. Izuku closed his mouth with a squeak before looking away.

* * *

'Deku' became shorthand for Izuku's name around school. Time passed, and the name continued to stick. 'Deku's useless wings/antlers' became a part of the student folklore no matter what school, Izuku attended. Eventually, Izuku got used to responding whenever "Deku" was said.

The wings that glowed atop his head became a mark of shame. He had soon taken to hiding them. At first, he tried growing out his hair, but the wings always poked through sooner of later. Eventually, he settled on wearing a hat. He never left home without one.

The hat that he always wore, or otherwise kept close at hand, was a mint green, complimenting his hair and eyes. There were two large extensions on it, made for people with cat-like ears as part of their Quirk. There was an extra length of fabric trailing behind the headwear, tied off at the end after coming to about half his back, giving the impression of some kind of animal living atop his head.

The impression of an animal wasn't entirely inaccurate. Nestled inside of his front pocket was a small, roundish yellow bird. Izuku didn't know what species it was exactly, but seemed to be some kind of relative to the hummingbird. Izuku had taken to calling the little ball of feathers Az. None of his teachers knew that he regularly brought his pet to campus, and with any luck, it would stay that way.

As the sun shone in the early morning, Izuku nearly ran down the streets, praying to get to school on time. Soon, however, he found his road blocked by a crowd. Peering over a few shoulders in mild annoyance, his jaw soon dropped with awe as he laid eyes on the cause: On a railway bridge just a few meters ahead of the crowd was a supervillain. He had a long, shark-like mouth and a set of dreadlocks dangling at the back of his head. He also happened to be four stories tall.

izuku pushed his way through the crowd, listening as people discussed how late this was going to make them and what heroes were currently on the scene. He heard a few recognizable names among the chatter; Death Arms, Backdraft, and Kamui Woods. He pushed through to the front of the crowd, where the water-based hero Backdraft had set up a barrier.

From where he stood, he could see the action in full. Kamui Woods was currently moving around the villain, using his tree-like limbs as ropes to swing around. "He may be new," Izuku said excitedly, "but he's making a big name for himself!"

A man with extensions on the side of his head noticed Izuku's excitement. "One look at that dopey grin and I know what you are," he said. "A fanboy."

Izuku ducked his head away. "Yeah, kinda. . ."

"Assault, robbery, and illegal use of powers during rush-hour traffic," Kamui Woods exclaimed dramatically, "You are the incarnation of evil." He took a stance as one of his arms shifted form.

"Oh this is gonna be good," Izuku said. "That's his special move!"

"C'mon newbie," the guy next to him called out. "Show us something flashy!"

"The Pre-emptive. . ." Kamui Woods said, preparing.

"Binding. . ." Izuku continued, knowing the words by heart.

"Lacquered Chain Prison!" the both of them shouted. However, before anything could happen, another voice called out.

"Canyon Cannon!"

A gigantic foot collided with the supervillain's jaw, knocking him to the ground and leaving everyone, hero and bystander alike, stunned. The dust cleared, revealing a woman in a tight bodysuit.

"Money shot, money shot, money shot," Izuku heard a crowd of photographers chanting as their cameras flashed.

"Hi there everyone, I'm Mount Lady; Japan's next hottest new hero," the woman said. "And you don't have to worry about this bum anymore." She gave a slight tilt to her own bum for added emphasis. The flashing and chanting of the photographers intensified.

Kamui Woods still hadn't moved. ". . . wait, she's getting all the credit?" he asked, having engaged the villain just a few moments ago.

The villain's super-sizing quirk properly deactivated, Mt. Lady returned to her normal size, eager to soak up the reporters' and journalists' praise, and paying no mind to Kamui Woods' despairing figure.

Izuku started scribbling in his notebook. "Gigantification, huh? Well she certainly has the looks and attitude to be a crowd favorite, and her quirk is really showy, but her size will make it hard for her to get around the city without destroying a lot of things. That will definitely limit her options."

"What's that, fanboy?" the man next to Izuku asked. "Taking notes? You want to be a hero too someday?" he said teasingly, but without judgement.

Izuku turned and faced him with a smile. "Yes!" he exclaimed. "More than anything!"

* * *

One school-bell later and the enthusiasm that the morning's skirmish had infused into Izuku had died.

"Now listen up," Izuku's homeroom teacher said. "As your last year in middle school, this is when you should start thinking seriously about your future, and what you want to do with your lives." The teacher took out a stack of papers. "Normally I would pass out these career aptitude tests, but. . ." the teacher threw the stack of papers into the air as the class showed off their individual quirks, "What's the point? You all want to be heroes!"

The teacher gave the class a few moments. "Yes, yes, you've all got some impressive quirks," he said, ignoring the one student whose only ability was to stretch his eyes. "No doubt you'd all make impressive heroes, but settle down, you still have to learn."

"Hey, teach," a ruff voice sounded. "Don't lump me in with the rest of these rejects. I'm the real deal, but these guys will be lucky to end up as sidekicks to some busted D-lister." 

The rest of the class was stirred into an uproar. "You think you're better than us?" one of the students asked.

"Let's go; I'll take you all on," Bakugo said, unconcerned.

The class's teacher looked at his notes. "Hmm, you certainly have the scores," he admitted. "Who knows, maybe you will get into U.A."

"No way," One of the students said disbelievingly. "He's gonna try for the national school?"

"That place only has a .2 percent acceptance rate," another one said.

"That's why it's the only place for me!" Bakugo exclaimed. He placed a foot onto his desk as he continued his self-aggrandization. "I ace all of the mock tests, I'm the only one here who stands a chance at getting into U.A. I'll end up more popular than All Might himself. I'll become the richest hero of all time! People all across the world will know who I am; and it all starts with U.A. High!"

"Oh yeah," the teacher said blandly."Midoriya, you applied to U.A. too right?"

The entire room stilled for a moment. Bakugo froze where he stood. Izuku went ramrod-straight, all the way to the 'ears' of his hood. Then, a flood of laughter resounded. "Midoriya?" One of the students asked. "Does he even have a quirk?"

"Not really," another voice answered.

"Well, actually, that's not entirely true," Izuku tried to defend. "Besides, they got rid of the Quirkless restrictions so it doesn't really matter, right?"

Nobody had a chance to answer. As soon as the words left Izuku's mouth, Bakugo slammed his palm down on Izuku's desk, breaking it with an explosion. "Listen up Deku!" he said. "You're even worse than the rest of these rejects! You really think they'll take you when they can have someone like me?"

Izuku felt Az stir in his coat pocket. He held a hand to it, hopping to keep the little bird calm. His other hand went out in front of him. "No wait! That's not it at all! I'm not trying to compete against you, honest!" With every word, he scooted back farther away until his head finally reached the back wall. "It's just that, I've wanted to be a hero since I was little," he said quietly. "My quirk might not be all that impressive, but I can still try my hardest. . . right?"

"You'd never be able to hang with the best of the best!' Katsuki said, his palm letting off some smoke. "You'd die in the exams!" The crowd snickered. "Worthless Izuku," Bakugo said mockingly. "The school's already crappy; you really want to embarrass it more by failing so hard?"

Izuku could only hold the bird in his pocket tighter and hang his head as the laughter around him continued.

* * *

The school-day passed without much further incident. As the class thinned out, Izuku checked his smart phone for news about heroes. "Man, that fight from this morning is all over," he said. He picked up his notebook. "Better right some notes down before I forget anything." He never had the chance, as the notebook was quickly snatched out of his hand.

Katsuki stood above him with an annoyed, unimpressed expression. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but we aren't done yet."

"Watcha got there, his diary?" one of Katsuki's friends asked, although if you asked Izuku, he was more akin to a groupie than a friend. (Not that Izuku would dare say such a thing out loud.) Katuski held the notebook up more clearly for them to see. "Wait, are you seriously taking notes on how to be a hero?"

The two groupies behind Bakugo burst out laughing. "That is so pathetic!"

"Hehe, yeah, real funny guys," Izuku played along nervously. "Just, give it back, please?"

Katsuki neglected to answer. Instead slaming the notebook between his hands and letting a controlled explosion rip. Izuku let out a horrified exclamation upon seeing the now-charred remains of his notebook.

"That's so mean. . ." he said weakly. Bakugo tossed the booklet out the window, earning another terrified squeal from Izuku.

"Most first-string heroes show potential early on," Bakugo said. "People look at them and just know that they're destined for greatness. When I'm the only one from this garbage junior high to get into U.A. people will start talking about me like that. They'll realize that I'm legit. The next big thing. That's not ego talking; I just know I'm good."

("Ego," another one of Katsuki's friends said, just low enough so that nobody could hear.)

Bakugo put his hand on Izuku's shoulder, smoke rising. "Here's some friendly advice," he said with a smile. "Don't even think of applying. Or else."

Izuku stood woodenly as Katsuki and his friends left. "That's just sad; I thought you had at least some fight in you."

"He finally gets it," the other responded. "He'll never be a hero. Better to find out now than later I guess."

As the three of them reached the door, Bakugo offered one last parting shot. "You know, if you really want to be a hero that badly, there might actually be another way," he said offeringly. "Just pray that you'll be born with a useful quirk in your next life, and then take a swan dive off the roof."

An anger burned through Izuku as he turned to face Bakugo.

Bakugo let loose a series of explosions from his palm. "Something wrong?" he asked intimidatingly.

Izuku was left too afraid to answer. Soon, however, he didn't need to. As he stood frozen in place, Az emerged from his pocket, making a beeline directly for Katsuki's eyes.

Izuku, still not quite recovered, took some subconscious satisfaction from the startled "What the hell?" and the surprised grunt of pain that came out Katsuki as a tiny beak collided with his right eye.

Katsuki snarled in rage. "Get this shit off me!" he exclaimed, driving away the bird with an explosion. Izuku reacted and caught Az in his hands on instinct. Holding his palm to one of his eyes, Katsuki glowered menacingly. "I bet you feel real proud of your pet right now, but it's actually just really pathetic that your little bird down there has more fight in him than you'll ever have."

The door banged shut as Katsuki left the room.

A few moments passed by as Izuku's mind caught up with him. "Are you okay, Az?" he asked.

The little spherical mass of feathers got to its feet wobbly, but soon gave a firm nod. Izuku sighed in relief, propping the bird on his shoulder. "C'mon," he said hollowly. "Let's go home."

He took one of the backroads from school, his anger finally sinking in. ' _That idiot. You can't go around telling people to kill themselves. What if I actually jumped? What would he do then?_ '

Izuku's inner monologue was cut short as he noticed what was in his school's koi pond. "All my dreams have turned into fish food," he said. The fish were nibbling on the burnt pages of his notebook. He stared at it blankly for a few moments. "That's enough, give it back," he said.

' _Dammit_.'

* * *

Izuku paused at the underpass. Gripping his notebook tight, he steeled himself. ' _I'll keep trying,_ ' he said to himself. ' _No matter what anyone else thinks. I'll keep smiling, just like him!_ '

Izuku clutched his fist and stared upward as he walked through the underpass. He gave his best imitation of All Might's signature, booming laugh, a slight echo sounding throughout the hall.

A bubbling noise caught his attention. Looking behind him, Izuku saw a green liquid mass. "You'll make a perfect skinsuit for me to hide in," it said, its voice bubbling along with it.

' _No way_ ,' Izuku thought as he backed away in fear. ' _A villain?_ ' He took a few more steps back before the villain surged forward. Izuku only had time to turn around in his attempt to run before the mass of sludge knocked him down, sending his notebook and Az away.

"Don't worry, I'm only taking over your body," the sludge villain said, trying to shove his liquid down Izuku's throat. Az could only give panicked chirps and a few pecks as the liquid shifted. "It'll only hurt for a minute. You'll feel better soon!" Izuku tried to grab the protrusion, his movements only serving to fuel further panic. "Try all you want, my body's made of fluid. Thanks for the help. I didn't know _he_ was in town. I've got to get out of here before he tracks me down. You're a real hero to me!"

Izuku's struggles for air became more desparate. The shadow of death loomed long over him. As his vision swam, he saw Az, as well as the page his notebook had landed open to. It was the culmination of his dreams; his own idea for a costume.

The manhole flew open.

The sludge villain looked, before making a frightened sound. 

" **Have no fear,** " a voice said. " **You are safe now. Now that I am here that is!** "

Izuku distantly heard the sounds of something slamming into concrete.

" **Texas Smash!** " A sudden wind blew through the underpass, tearing through the sludge villain. As the mass of liquid was forcibly split apart, Izuku could just barely open his eyes. What he saw was enough to convince him that he had already passed out. ' _All. . . Might?_ ' he thought, just before darkness overtook him.

* * *

Izuku's dreams were scattered and disorganized. Distantly, he recognized something. Rivers of life ever-flowing, people with glowing wings like his, and majestic scaled beasts dancing in the sky.

* * *

There were a number of sensations that called Izuku back to the land of the living. There was a repeated pressure on his cheek. There were familiar, frantic chirps. There was a voice above him. Slowly, he opened his eyes, soon registering the sky above him, as well as Az's wings rapidly flapping. "Hey, Az," he greeted, still slightly out of it.

" **Thought we'd lost you there!** " the voice above him said jovially. It was then that Izuku registered just who the owner of the voice was. Well. . . half-registered at any rate. The reality of talking to All Might himself was something that could never actually set in. His body went rigid with shock as strangled noises escaped his throat.

He gave an unbelieving squeal, backing up rapidly.

" **Well, looks like you're moving around all right! Sorry about that back there; I didn't mean to get you caught up in my justice-ing. Usually I pay more attention to keeping bystanders safe,** " All Might said amicably, " **but as it turns out this city's sewer system is pretty difficult to navigate! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! Anyway! You were a big help! Thank you!** " He held up a few plastic bottles. " **I've captured the evil-doer!** "

Izuku's mental processor still hadn't finished loading its task. ' _All Might. The most amazing hero. Right in front of me. In the flesh!_ ' He thought, disoriented. ' _He looks so much cooler in person!_ ' he thought, as All Might's signature smile nearly blinded him.

"Holy crap," he said, his mind finally catching up. "I gotta get an autograph," he said searching for something. "There's gotta be a pen of something around here somewhere. Ah, sign my notebook!" He said, picking it up. His lungs gave out their maximum force as he realized that All Might had already taken the liberty. Izuku started bowing with extreme rapidity, putting even Az's wingbeats to shame. "Thank you! This will be an heirloom, a family treasure passed down for generations to come!"

All Might gave a decidedly non-judgmental thumbs up, and a non-committal " **Uh-huh**." He gave the bottles on his pants a light tap. " **I've gotta get this guy down to the station. Stay out of trouble. See you around**!" He started toing some stretches, readying for takeoff. 

"Wait. . . You're leaving? Already?" Izuku asked. Az, sensing that trouble was brewing, hid back inside of Izuku's pocket.

" **Pro Heroes are constantly fighting time as well as enemies** ," All Might said, continuing his stretches. 

' _He can't go yet,_ ' Midoriya thought to himself. ' _There's still so much to ask him._ '

" **Now stand back! I'm taking off!** " He leapt into the sky. " **Thanks for your continued support,** " he said to the child below. . . only to realize that the child wasn't below. Hanging onto All Might's leg for dear life and face turned loose and flappy from the wind was Izuku Midoriya. " **Huh? Hey hey hey, what do you think you're doing?!** " All Might started to try to push off the teenager. " **Let go! I love my fans but this is too much!** "

"Nno wway," Izuku said, words mangled slightly by the wind pressure wobbling his lips. "Wwe're fflying. Iif Ii llet ggo Ii'll ffall!"

All Might's efforts to separate the boy came to a sudden halt. " **Oh. Good point.** "

"Ii jjust hhave aa llot oof tthings Ii wwant tto aask yyou ppersonally, Aall Mmight! Yyou're mmy aall ttime ffavorite hhero!"

" **Okay! Okay! I get it,** " All Might said. " **Just keep you're eyes and mouth shut** ," he said, growing tired of seeing loose flesh flap. Content once he saw Izuku do just that, he turned his attention towards his destination. A cough forced its way past his throat, and a droplet of blood escaped the corner of his teeth. 'Shit. . .'

They landed with a thud on top of a building. All Might made sure that Izuku was able to stand before he started to leave the shuddering teen. "My whole life just flashed before my eyes." Izuku said breathlessly.

**"Not a very smart move. Bang on the door for a while, and somebody will let you in. Now, I have to go! See you on the flipside!** "

Izuku stood, shaking limbs forgotten. "Not yet! Just one moment!" he said.

" **No. There's no time.** "

"I have to know!" Izuku said, holding out his hand. Slowly, it dropped to his side as memories and words flowed through. Some of them, long implanted memories, others, from earlier that very day. "Sometimes I do feel like a failure. Like there's no hope for me. But even so. I'm not gonna give up. Ever. I need to know. Is it possible to become a hero? Even if I have a non-functioning quirk?"

All Might stopped.

Izuku dared not to look, preferring to keep his eyes shut. "Is at all possible," he said, "for someone like me to become someone like you?"

Izuku didn't quite know it yet, but it was at that moment that destiny changed. Izuku's life was about to change unrecognizably.


	2. What It Takes to Be a Hero

Izuku poured his heart out before his idol. "I'm a normal kid, without any powers. Can I ever hope to be someone like you?" His eyes remained shut, almost like opening them would break whatever illusion was holding All Might there.

" **With a non-functional Qurik?** " All Might asked, more to himself. He didn't get the chance to answer. His body soon racked itself with tremors. ' _Oh no. . . Not here. . . Dammit. . ._ ' Smoke started to rise around his body, clouding it from view.

"People think I don't have any chance," Izuku continued, oblivious to All Might's struggles. "That not having a power makes me some kind of weakling. My classmates like to make fun of me. But you know what? That makes me want to prove them wrong. Ever since I was a kid, I've always thought saving people is the coolest thing you can do. I want people to see my fearless smile and feel safe, and be the kind of hero everyone in the world looks up to." Izuku finally opened his eyes, courage dancing in his face. "Just like you!"

Silence stood between them for a moment as the smoke around All Might's body began to clear.

Izuku promptly screamed.

* * *

In an alleyway in the Tatooin shopping district, a bottle of sludge stirred itself to consciousness with a groan. "Where am I? What happened," he asked himself, before memories of wild wind-pressure tearing his body apart resurfaced. "Oh yeah. _That_ bastard. If it wasn't for him I'd be out of town already."

"That was rough," a voice said above him. "Don't you think you were a little hard on him?" It was one of Bakugo's friends.

"Yeah, weren't you and Midoriya really good friends?" The other member of the group asked. "You were a little harsh with him today."

Bakugo, finishing the last of his drink, spoke up. "It's his own fault for getting in my way," he said without sympathy. For added effect, he kicked the bottle, unaware that he had knocked the cap loose. 

"You shouldn't waste your time on the guy," the first friend advised.

Bakugo's grip on his can tightened. "Someone's gotta teach that runt how the world really works." The can disappeared in a flash of explosives. "I hate it when he talks heroes."

The two of Bakugo's friends shared a glance between them. "Hey, I got an idea. We should hit the arcade. Get your mind off it, you know?"

Bakugo spared them a glance. ". . . Fine."

"Or," the other friend said leadingly, "we could sneak into the bar at the station, pick up some ladies?"

"Now _that_ sounds like a good idea."

" _Idiots_!" Bakugo snapped. "If we get caught, there's no way U.A. would let me in."

"Hey, what's that?" both friends asked.

Bakugo turned to see a shifting green mass growing before his eyes.

"Perfect," the sludge villain said with a smile. "I like a skinsuit with some fire!"

* * *

Izuku's scream lasted for a solid minute, during which time, Az had found them, and pecked at Izuku's shoes for leaving him behind. "I. . . Wait. . . Who?" Izuku struggled to get out. "What happened? You deflated!" Standing hunched over where All might had been standing not two minutes ago was a scruffy skeleton of a man, with oversized clothes and sunken blue eyes. Izuku's head swiveled around the roof. "Where'd All Might go?" He pointed to the stick figure before him. "You. You're not him! You're a fake, an imposter!"

The figure breathed in. "I assure you that I am All M-" a gout of blood spilt from his mouth, earning another of Izuku's screams.

"Impossible!" Izuku said waveringly. 

"You know how guys at the pool are always sucking in, and flexing, and trying to look buff?" the figure asked with obvious tiredness. "I'm like that." 

"This can't be real!" Izuku cried. "No. . . I'm dreaming. . . All Might's a giant of a man who saves everyone. He defeats all obstacles and saves the day with a fearless smile."

The man, who Izuku was still in stages of denial of being All Might sighed. "There's plenty of fear behind that smile." He sat down. "I'm counting on you to keep your mouth shut; don't go talking about this online or to your friends."

Izuku was about to protest that he didn't have any friends (not counting Az, who had planted himself back inside of Izuku's coat pocket at that point,) when All Might lifted his shirt. Izuku drew back at the sight.

"Pretty gross, right?" All Might asked rhetorically. Littered across his abdomen and cutting lines across his flesh was a disfiguring scar, originating from a circle that had obviously been a hole at one point. "I got this in a big fight five years back. My respiratory system was basically destroyed, and I lost my whole stomach. All the surgeries have pretty much worn me out, and it can't be fixed." All Might let his shirt back down, mercifully hiding the scar from view. "Right now, I can only do hero work for about three hours a day. The rest of the time? This is what I look like," he said with resignation.

Izuku, still slightly sick from the sight, regained some composure as the words sunk in. "No way. Five years ago? So does that mean it was the fight with Toxic Chainsaw?"

"Wow, you really know your stuff, kid," All Might said. He held his arm vertically. "But no. The punk may have landed some hits, but he couldn't bring me down. Most of the world has never heard of this fight. I did everything could to keep it under wraps." All Might paused, before looking back to Izuku. "I'm supposed to be the guy who's always smiling right? I'm the world's Symbol of Peace. People everywhere have to believe that I'm never afraid.

"But honestly? I smile to hide the fear inside." His hand clenched itself tight. "It's just a brave face I put on when the pressure's high. This job isn't easy. Pro Heroes are constantly risking their lives. Some villains just can't be beaten without powers." It would hurt to say the next few words, but from All Might's perspective, it was something this boy needed to hear before he got himself hurt. "So can you be a hero? I'm afraid not. It would be one thing if you're Quirk was unusual, or only had some limited use, but with no functionality at all? I'm sorry, but no."

Izuku's hat-ears went straight, before angling flat to his head. ". . . I see. . ." he said without conviction.

All Might got up. "If you want to help people," he suggested, "there are plenty of ways to do it." He made for the door to the stairway. "You could become a police officer. They get crap because heroes catch all the villains, but it's a fine profession." All Might paused as he opened the door. "it's not bad to have a dream, young man. Just. . . make sure your dreams are attainable, realistic. Understand?"

The door creaked shut with a quiet thunder.

All Might walked down a few steps. "Now, let's get you down to the station," he said to the bottle in his pockets. He froze. There was no bottle in his pockets. Frantically, he searched the area around him, praying that he had just dropped it, until the roaring boom of an explosion sounded in the distance. From the window, he could see the black smoke rising into the air.

The insides of his pockets fell from his grasp. ' _Not good. . ._ '

Izuku was still reeling from shock, Az trying to rub himself against his cheek when he heard the explosion. "A villain," Izuku said, snapped out of his haze. He made towards the door. "I wonder which hero will show!"

All Might's words echoed in his head, bringing him to a cold halt. He closed his eyes as his head dipped slightly, wings hanging low. He walked.

* * *

All Might ran as fast as his anemic, weary body could take him. Emergency sirens wailed overhead, as people ran from the street. The heart of Tatooin was ablaze with burning rubble, as windows shattered and concrete broke apart.

Three heroes arrived on the scene, setting eyes on the enormous shifting sludge at the heart of the destruction. Bakugo Katsuki was tightly wrapped up in the villain's substance. "It's taken someone hostage," Death Arms said. He bashed his fists together before charging. "How dare you prey on a child?!" He leapt forward, and delivered a powerful punch to the villain.

The sludge villain narrowed his eyes in delight before Death Arms' fist started to sink into his body. "What the hell is this? Some Kind of goo?" Death Arms asked. He didn't have time to think it over. Part of the sludge villain formed itself into a weighty hand, before whipping through the air to smack Death Arms away, where he collided with the metal of a garage door.

"You okay, Death Arms?" another pro asked.

"Heads Up!" The two of them jumped away before an extension of the sludge villain slammed itself into where they had been not a second earlier. "Stay away, or I'll snap his neck," the sludge villain warned. He gave a slight hum of curiosity as he felt something.

With a great wrench forward, Bakugo freed his mouth from the substance. "You picked the wrong guy to mess with! I'm gonna send you back to whatever sewer you crawled out of!" Bakugo's palms, although still covered with sludge, sparked and cracked before letting out a series of explosions. "Let me go!"

The wind pressure from the explosions whipped across the battlefield, causing the heroes to shield their faces. As the smoke cleared, the sludge villain was still wound around Bakugo. "You've got quite the Quirk," he commented. "So much power! I've really hit the jackpot! With a Quirk like that under my control, I can take down All Might with one punch!" The sludge surged upwards and swirled together, intent on coming crashing down on the high-schooler.

The crowd that had gathered behind the police barrier stirred. "Woah is that some kind of special move? This guy's a legit supervillain." Another crowd member pointed up with renewed hope. "It's her! That new hero Mount Lady is here!"

The crowd's hopes took a step dive as Mount Lady lifted her leg over the sign and into the road. "My only weakness," she complained. "I need at least a two lane road if I'm going to get inside."

Bakugo's friends, meanwhile, stood close together in a spot that was encircled by flames. They soon found themselves being pulled back by a prehensile branch. The wood hissed with heat pressure as Kamui Woods drew his limb back. "Fire and wood aren't a good combination," he called. "I'll let someone else handle this guy."

Water spouts sprayed what fires they could. "Don't look at me!" Backdraft called back. "I've got my hands full here. Where are those fire trucks?" Backdraft turned back to his fellow heroes. "Can any of you guys get to him?"

"We're trying," Death Arms said, "But we can't get a grip on his weird body, plus that kid's Quirk is causing explosions left and right!"

"This is a shut-out, we've gotta rally, and knock him out of the park somehow!"

By now, the sludge villain's mouth had formed over where Bakugo's would be, looking horrifically oversized when compared to his head. The sludge villain laughed at the teenager's continued struggles. Seeing the heroes strategize, he formed another tendril of sludge and sent it crashing down into the concrete, causing the heroes to fall back.

"This is no good," Death Arms said. "None of us have the right Quirks to deal with him!"

"We'll do damage control until someone with the right Quirk comes along."

Heat pressure caused a window to burst open as Backdraft hosed what he could. "There are still plenty of people to save."

Kamui Woods, situated on the roof of one of the taller buildings, pulled out another civilian. "Don't worry. I'm sure every hero in the city is on their way."

' _Sorry, kid,_ ' Death Arms thought. ' _You'll just have to hold on a little bit longer._ ' "Damn! If only I had more power, I could blow this guy away!"

All Might arrived at the scene, winded and leaning against the corner of the street for support. "Hey, this is bad," he heard a spectator say. "Maybe we should run?" Come on heroes! You can do it!" another bystander said.

Raising his line of sight above the heads of the crowd, his worst fears confirmed themselves. ' _I must have dropped him in the air,_ ' All Might thought, remembering his clingy fan. ' _I was distracted, worrying about my time limit! I can't believe I made such a rookie mistake. Especially after lecturing that kid about what it takes to be a hero!_ ' All Might's grip on his side tightened. ' _I'm pathetic!_ '

* * *

Meanwhile, Izuku Midoriya walked onwards, having no real destination in mind. He held his notebook out in front of him, looking at the pages, but not really digesting anything before him. What did it matter know that he knew Kamui Woods was good at preventing damage, or that Mount Lady could grow over twenty meters high (or used her looks to win the crowd), or even that All Might had gifted him with an autograph?

' _Make sure your dream is attainable,_ ' the gangly form of All Might repeated in his head. With a sigh, he closed his notebook, finding he no longer had the stomach to read it. ' _Even All Might said it. A hero needs a working Quirk._ ' He held a hand to his nose as he drew in a sniff. ' _Don't cry, dammit. Deep down you knew this. All along. You've just been avoiding reality That's why you were trying so desperately to prove yourself wrong._ '

Az saw Izuku's despair, as he saw most things, with more perception than the average bird possessed. He had been trying to nudge Izuku with his body in an attempt to give him comfort, to no avail. Fine then. Az wound himself up, intent on unleashing the mother of all pecks to snap Izuku out of it, but before a rumble and boom threw him off balance as he squeaked. 

Izuku look up, finally noting where he was. Tatooin Shopping district still held smoke in its streets. ' _That's strange. Is the fight from earlier still going on?_ ' His heartbeat grew louder in his ears. ' _Why am I even here? Did I come here subconsciously?_ ' He stood at the edge of the crowd. ' _I shouldn't even stop. All of my notes are useless._ ' 

Izuku went straight, eyes wide and wings upright. ' _That's the guy who attacked me! That can't be right. All Might captured him._ ' The images of All Might on the street and All Might on the roof flashed through his mind. ' _But the bottle. If he dropped it that means. . ._ '

"That means. . . It's. . . all my fault," Izuku said aloud.

"Why aren't the heroes doing anything?" A civilian to his left asked.

"It looks like they've met their match. Plus that villain captured a kid."

Izuku's eyes snapped back onto the villain. ' _He caught someone?'_ he thought, horrified. Against his will, the memory of his own experience with the sludge villain surfaced. ' _I wonder how long they've been in there? How can they survive being suffocated like that? I'd die after just a few seconds of struggling._ ' His hand placed itself over his mouth of its own volition. ' _Oh man_.'

Unaware of who was among the audience, a group of civilians talked amongst themselves. "Wait, I'm confused. Isn't that the villain All Might was chasing earlier today?"

"What? All Might? No way he lost. Where is he?"

"Well, can someone call him or something?"

"Seriously. Why hasn't he shown up to help the heroes?"

All Might griped his scar with a guilty groan.

Izuku whimpered into his palm. ' _I'm the one to blame. . . He wasted his energy on me. . ._ '

' _I'm worthless,_ ' All Might thought to himself.

' _He can't power up yet. And none of the other heroes have the Quirks to stop this monster._ '

' _So pathetic!_ '

' _It's all my fault. I'm sorry. . . so sorry._ '

' _Disgrace!_ '

' _Help will show up and save the day, I'm sure._ '

' _I'm not a real hero._ '

' _Someone. . . a real hero will come soon._ '

Izuku's thoughts drew to a halt as the captive's struggles caught his attention. His eyes locked onto a pair of uncharacteristically fearful red orbs. There was a gasp, probably coming from his own mouth. The paper of the notebook hit the pavement. White briefly flashed before his eyes, and he landed on the opposite side of the police barrier.

His feet continued to hit the pavement. It was only when Death Arms called out for him to stop that Izuku's conscious mind registered that he was running.

He didn't stop running.

"Not this brat again," the sludge villain said with mild annoyance. 

"Deku. . . ?"

' _What am I doing?_ ' He had no answer. ' _Why am I running?_ ' He held no answer. ' _Why can't I stop?_ ' He held no answer.

The sludge villain reached out with tendril. "You're dead kid!" The tendril came crashing down towards Izuku.

Still acting on fight or flight responses, Izuku jumped to the right. There was another brief collection of milliseconds of white before his eyes before his feet landed. . . On the left? No, he couldn't focus on that right now. It was obvious that the sludge villain was just as confused as he was right then. ' _Think. What do I do? What would a hero do?_ ' The image of his writings in Kamui Woods' profile rushed past his mind. ' _Page 25. Right!_ '

With the sludge villain still slightly confused from his jump in space, Izuku continue to rush forward, unslinging his backpack with a turn. "Take this!" Izuku cried.

The backpack, and several of its heavier contents, struck the villain right in the eye, causing him to pull back with an annoyed grunt of pain. This loosened his grip on his hostage just long enough for Katsuki to wrench his mouth free, and take some sorely needed breaths. 

"Kacchan!" Izuku cried out.

"What the hell? Why are you here?" Bakugo asked.

"I don't know!" Izuku said, wildly trying to dig through the sludge. "My legs. . . They just started moving!" The sludge surged its way back to block Bakugo's mouth. Undeterred by the apparent lack of success his efforts brought forth, he kept digging. "Kacchan! I couldn't just leave you to die!"

All Might's eyes popped wide.

"Get the hell off me!" Bakugo cried.

Muscle started to return to All Might's form. ' _I have to do something. No matter the cost!_ '

The sludge villain recovered, reforming his eye. "Just a little longer kid!" he told his hostage. An extension wound itself back, ready to swing down. "And I'm down playing with you!"

Death Arms reached forward. "Save the boy! This thing will kill him!"

Multiple things happened at once. Bakugo's palms ignited in a powerful explosion. The sludge villain's weighty liquid mass slammed down. Izuku closed his eyes, no longer carrying the will to watch. Strangely enough, Izuku never felt the impact.

His eyes remained closed until a voice sounded beside him. " **I really am pathetic.** " Izuku hesitantly opened his eyes. Before him stood the number one hero in his full glory, muscles and smile in all. 

"All might. . . ?"

" **I told you the traits that make a great champion,** " he said, struggling amidst the strands of sludge. He pulled his arm free, breaking apart the tendril. " **But I see now I wasn't living up to my own ideal!** " 

All eyes wide, All Might grabbed onto where Izuku and Bakugo's arms crossed. He wound up for a punch, blood spewing from his mouth. " **Pros are always risking their lives! That's the _true_ test of a hero!**"

"Damn you All Might!" The sludge villain made one last attempt to kill the Symbol of Peace. He never had the chance to follow through.

All Might forcedly pulled the two teenagers away as he punched. " **Detroit! Smash!** " Gusts of wind billowed and bit their way through the sludge villain, tearing his body apart, and making the teenagers flail like ragdolls. The fires were swept away, and Mount Lady had to use her body to shield the bystanders from the whirlwind that All Might created. 

The wind finally subsided. All Might panted with exertion, steam rising from his fist. Silence reigned across the normally busy district. The sky darkened, as clouds rolled by, caught up in the aftereffects of All Might's blow. Drops of moisture started to dot the street, before it turned into an full rainstorm.

"Holy crap. . . He changed the weather," Death Arms realized, awed.

All Might the trail of blood from the corner of his mouth, and stood to his full height. The crowd started to stir, low exclamations of awe and wonder. All Might raised his arm triumphantly, only slightly underscored by the almost unnoticeable step back he had to take to balance himself. The crowd's cries turned into cheers. The roar of exultation sounded throughout the streets. All Might looked behind him at the crowd. Except he wasn't looking at the crowd. His gaze was on the unconscious boy with a green hat, and a yellow bird trying to restore him to wakefulness.

When Izuku awoke a short time later, the police were gathering up the scattered remains of the sludge villain's body, eager to take him into custody. All Might stood a few meters away, surrounded by reporters and photographers. Directly in front of Izuku were two pro heroes. Under any other circumstance, he would ask them for their autograph. However, they didn't appear to be in the mood.

"You moron," Kamui Woods berated. "Do you have a death wish or something?"

"Interesting Quirk," Death Arms said, "but what you _should_ have used it for was getting the hell out of dodge! There was absolutely no reason for you to get involved!"

Izuku was too ashamed to register the words 'interesting Quirk' being directed at him. His subconscious attributed the words to Bakugo's current admirers, which included all of the other pro heroes.

"Man your tough kid! And that Quirk is something else! When you want to go pro, head over to my agency first. I'd love for you to be sidekick while your training!" For once in his life, Bakugo wasn't listening. Mouth pressed tight, his eyes shifted over to Izuku.

* * *

The sun had come close to setting as Izuku walked on his way back home. He sighed with more than just physical exhaustion. ' _I wanted to apologize to All Might, but he was swarmed by reporters. I didn't want to interrupt. I guess I can always try to send a message through his website when I get back home._ '

His train of thought was halted as a scratchy voice called out behind him. "Deku!"

Curious, Izuku stopped and turned around. "Kacchan?"

Katsuki Bakugo stopped a few paces behind him. He took a moment, catching his breath. Closing his fists, he spoke. "I would never ask for a weakling like you to help. Don't think you can look down on me!" Bakugo tried to shoot a baleful glare as he spat the next words. "Got that!? I was fine by myself! You're still a useless failure who won't even cut it as a rent-a-cop! You think you helped me? You did _nothing_! And don't forget it." His piece apparently said, Bakugo turned around and marched, slightly hunching, away. "I don't owe you anything!"

' _What was that?_ ' Izuku thought in puzzlement. ' _Kacchan is right, though. It's not like I actually did anything to help today. At least I tried. Guess I should get back to giving up on my dreams._ '

Izuku had barely taken another step forward when another voice cut through his thoughts, and a massively muscled form cut in front of his path. " **I am here!** " Izuku gave another scream at the sudden intrusion.

"All Might! Where'd you come from?" Izuku gave a cautionary glance around, Az mimicking his movements. "How'd you get rid of all those reporters?"

All Might gave a hearty laugh. " **I stand for justice! Not soundbytes!** " He tried to flex impressively. " **Because I am All Mi-** " his body's own rejection cut him off with a spewing of blood. After Izuku had finished another scream, and All Might had finished coughing, the skeletal man spoke. "Young man, i came here to thank you. Also, to discuss your question from earlier. If you hadn't rushed in, if you hadn't told me about your life, I would have been another worthless bystander standing in the crowd. So thanks."

"Oh, no!" Izuku said in modesty. "It was my fault that he was there to begin with! I got in the way of your hard work. . . I wasted your energy. . .And, not to mention your time."

"I'm not done," All Might said. "You told me that you didn't have a power. So when I saw this timid, newly Quirked boy try to save a life, it inspired me to act too."

Izuku gasped softly, before pausing. "Wait. . . did you say. . . newly Quirked?"

All Might smiled with a small laugh. "You didn't even realize you were using your Quirk did you? That's perfect. Just what I was hoping for." All Might took a deep breath. "There are stories about every hero; how they became great. Most have _one thing_ in common; their bodies moved before they had a chance to think, almost on their own."

Izuku's breath turned ragged, before he began to clutch at himself. His eyesight turned glossy. ' _I'm sorry, Izuku,_ ' the memory said. ' _I wish things were different._ '

"And today, that's what happened to you."

Tears ran freely down Izuku's face, unhindered by sadness.

"I would be saying this even if your Quirk hadn't manifested. Young man, you too can become a hero."

(Years later, Izuku would look at this moment what set him on the path to becoming the world's greatest hero.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who watched Wakfu: Izuku’s portals are the same color as Oropo’s.  
> I should also mention that I might be playing it more by ear from this point on. Rewatching the episodes is fun, but trying to transcribe the dialogue is a bit of a chore. I’ll still be following the episodes, but I won’t make myself follow the exact dialogue.

**Author's Note:**

> This thing won’t be updating all that regularly until my projects manage to sort themselves out, but I’m glad I got this opening chapter done. Once I clear the first two episodes, the plot will start to be looser in terms of canon compliance. I’m really looking forward to working on this. And thank Dragonwolf99 for giving me the idea!


End file.
